Haunted by Familiar Faces
by hapi3rachel
Summary: Post Conqueror of Shamballa. Ed and Al are on the other side of the gate, with no leads on the Uranium Bomb and trying to forget the past. But what happens when they stumble on an all too familiar face who recognizes them? Not only do they have to sort out their feelings, but they also have to fight a mysterious society who's only goal is to return home. T for violence EdxOC, AlxOC
1. Introduction

**Authors Note: Hello! I hope that you enjoy my story. I've had this idea for a while, and I had to get it down. I don't quite know when I will be publishing the next part. I may or may not continue this story, it depends on how many people like it. Commentary is welcomed, as is constructive criticism. Profanity and put-downs are not. I would highly appreciate if you commented or followed/favorite my work, and I would give you a cookie!**

At night, the nightmares come.

_Winifred's blond hair danced in the wind. She stepped carefully along the dirt road along with Edmund, her eyes taking in the whole scenery. The both of them were silent while they walked, for different reasons. Winifred wanted to say something, but just couldn't come up with anything to say._

_ Edmund stopped suddenly, and Winifred stopped also in surprise. His soft, blue eyes reached up to hers, and she offered him a soft smile wracked with grief. "Hey, we're almost home," she said, pointing in the distance where a white house loomed. She tried to forget for him, but it was impossible to forget the frightening fact that she was alone._

_ His golden bangs fell into his eyes, hiding the swirling torment in them. "I missed you."_

_ Winifred started in surprise, staring at him in shock. Where had this come from? But she didn't hesitate to return the favor. "I missed you too." A soft smile crept up on her lips. "You don't have to leave again. You can stay here with me," she added cheerfully, putting on another façade. She grabbed his hand._

_ He shook his head and pulled his hand out from her grip. "Don't worry, Win. I won't be gone for long, I promise."_

_Winifred knew the secret code he laced into his words. Even if she missed him, he was still going. But he promised that he would come back. She tried to convince herself that would be enough. "Well, you know I'll be there to pick you up from the train station." A false grin crept up to her face and stayed there like a stain. "I'll be the first person you see, alright?" She tried to keep her voice from breaking and to keep herself from choking up._

_He hugged her. Winifred felt her eyes grow blurry with tears, and leaned into his embrace. His arms were tight around her, but she loved the comfort it gave her. She would miss his soft touch. She wouldn't let the tears spill. They could water, but she couldn't allow them to actually fall. It was already so difficult, watching him go. He was all she had left._

"_When I get back, we'll come back here to Lisemburg, alright?" Edmund's voice was soft, and she gripped him tighter. She could feel his warm breath against her ear._

"_Yeah. Better hurry up though, I don't think I can stay with granny for long." She smiled._

_ She fell out of the embrace and so did he, both holding back tears. "Don't worry, when I get back we'll see each other again."_

_ The scene changed rapidly, a quick flashback that left Winifred breathless. The image of a burning blimp crashing and him standing innocently on the sidelines. She couldn't get the imagined image of him burning in a fiery crash out of her mind. That was real life, and she never wanted this dream to end. She never wanted to stop pretending he was real._

_ "Yeah." She barely choked the word out. "I will see you," she said softly. Will I?_

_ "Hey, why did you cut your hair?" Edmund sputtered out randomly, obviously trying to change the subject. It was reasonable, considering her waist length hair was cut to her shoulders. She wasn't surprised that he changed the subject to that._

_ She smiled. "I don't know, I guess I needed a change." She giggled softly at a memory that suddenly arose. "You know how I am, I've always wanted to leave this town, even as a kid."_

_ He grinned. "Yeah, our plan was to get out of here with Alfons." He looked sadly at the house that used to be inhibited by Alfons Heiderich. "I guess that was what ended up happening." He frowned; they had always wanted to leave this place together. Alfons' studies led him to some fancy university, he was going off to the war and Winifred was going to stay with their grandmother. The dreams of exploring the universe had long disappeared._

_ Winifred's features had also turned melancholy. "Well, we should pay one last visit."_

_ Ed waved her off. "You can do that, Win. Send them my regards. I really need to get packed." He left without another word, leaving Winifred lost and hurting. She was alone again, in this winding countryside, with no answers. Just pain._

Winifred's eyes blinked open, and she could feel hot trails down her face. As they ran into her mouth she tasted the salt and realized they were tears. She wiped her eyes with her arm, but more tears came. So she lay in her bed, crying silently for what was lost.

**The latest I'll update is next Sunday, so be prepared! :)**


	2. Chapter 1

**I'm a day late, sorry. I hope the length makes up for it, but this chapter was really difficult for me.**

**At the beginning I had thought I would write the chapter in Ed and Al's point of view, but then it got really complicated. And then Winifred popped up, and it just kind of...came to me. I hope you enjoy it, it took me a while to write it. :) And by the way, I don't actually study anatomy, I just looked up pictures on google and used it based on those diagrams. So don't kill me, please.**

Winifred blocked out the noises of children playing on the playground where she was sitting on the swings, studying the bones of the hand. But her usual technique for blocking out nightmares wasn't exactly helping now, and she found herself floundering in images of the past as Edmund's smiling face reappeared. She could almost feel the warmth of his arms around her.

She sprawled another set of notes on the notebook she was borrowing. Maybe if she focused hard enough she could lose herself in the mysteries of the human body. "Bones in the fingers…?" She questioned herself before looking away from the book and using her own hand as a model. "The tip is called the distal phalanges. The next bones are called the middle phalanges, although the thumb doesn't have one. Next are proximal phalanges. And then…" She thought for a moment, determined not to sneak a peek at her book. "Next are…the metacarpals!" She smirked in self-satisfaction at herself.

"At this rate you'll become a successful doctor."

Winifred almost fell off her swing in surprise. Most of her precious resources drifted to the ground in a flurry of papers and pens. Her hands clenched around the chains that held her swing up. "Jessica," she growled. "You almost scared me half to death!"

Her best friend smiled smugly at her. "Aren't you going to pick up all the papers you dropped?" Jessica's brown eyes stared imploringly into her, despite her brown hair half-sweeping into them.

Winifred muttered something under her breath but bent down and picked up all of her papers, which was much more difficult than she had expected to do on a swing. She glared at Jessica. "Aren't you going to help? You were the one who knocked them all off anyhow," she muttered accusingly.

Jessica shrugged and with a giggle she settled herself beside Winifred. "But I'm serious Winifred. You're _eighteen, _for Pete's sake, and yet you're on the swings talking to yourself."

Winifred's face flushed and she couldn't hide her embarrassment. Still, she ignored the comment hoping that her voice sounded somewhat cool. "And what are you doing here? I assume you didn't feel the sudden need to go watch little kids at the park. Going to stalk them?"

Jessica just laughed nonchalantly, setting Winifred's nerves on edge. She really didn't have time for this. Jessica ignored her obvious aggravation and began swinging. "How are your nightmares?"

Yep, she really wanted to piss Winifred off. Or kill her by embarrassment. "Just fine," she answered, crossing her arms over her flat chest.

"Oh, that's good," Jessica answered lamely. She shot a nervous glance at Winifred, which made her even more furious. But really, it made her feel helpless. She needed the pity of a friend who would never understand the pain of losing someone as close to her as Edmund was. She didn't even argue; just let Jessica gaze at her with sympathy. Like she could ever understand.

"So how are your studies going, Mrs. Engineer?" Winifred offered as a change in subject.

Jessica shot her a self-confident smirk and dug her heels in the ground. Her swinging stopped abruptly and she faced Winifred. "I think I'm going to flunk as Mr. Dominic's apprentice."

Winifred put her head in her hands. "You know, if you studied, you might actually be a good engineer."

Jessica shook her head and her nose wrinkled in distaste. "What? Why would I ever do that? You know, some people aren't completely absorbed in their studies." She shrugged and leaned back while maintaining her balance. Winifred glared at her in envy. If she even tried that trick she would end up on her butt, while Jessica lounged with obvious ease. "Besides, I don't think I want to be an engineer anymore."

Winifred rolled her eyes, a smile turning up the corners of her lips. "You never want to be anything for long. You know, you keep switching tastes like this and Dominic is going to dump you on the streets." She was kidding though. Both of them knew that Mr. Dominic adored Jessica with a gruff love. He wouldn't throw her out if she truly needed the help, and the way it was looking, Jessica was going to need someone like that on her side.

Jessica frowned at the statement though. "I don't want to hang onto him for the rest of my life. He doesn't deserve that. Especially not after how much he has helped me." Her eyes furrowed and she sat up in her swing. Her fists grabbed the swings so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "I thought I could take up his work, but I just can't. Sometimes I'm so jealous of you Winifred."

Winifred stared at Jessica in dazed shock. Jealous? Of her? Jessica was popular and easy to get along with everybody. She wasn't a Jew, so she wasn't criticized, even with her looks. Besides that, she had a loving family and a strong mentor. So why would she ever be jealous of plain, old Winifred? "What do you mean?"

Jessica heard the surprise in Winifred's voice and shot her a knowing look. "You know exactly what you want to do in life. I never had that kind of sense of direction. I don't know how you can do it."

Winifred had never had to do _anything, _that was the thing. Her parents were doctors, and so growing up she had always admired them and their ability to heal. And she read textbooks instead of picture books when she was a child, molding into the doctor she knew she wanted to be. Her parent's death drove her. And then Edmund…

Winifred was jolted out of her thoughts by a cry of pain. She instinctively dropped all of her books, grabbing the mini first-aid kit she hid in her pockets out. Hopefully it wasn't anything too bad.

Of course, all her papers fell out of her lap again and lodged themselves into the dirt, but Winifred was too busy focusing on the victim. It was a little boy with tears streaming down his face and a big scrape on his leg. She walked up to him, and saw the mother staring at her nervously. She looked up into the big brown eyes of the little boy. "What's your name?"

"M-my name?" he stuttered before coming to his senses. "Jacob. What are you going to do?"

Winifred waved her first aid kit off for him to see. "I'm going to help you. Now first I have to wipe some disinfectant on it, and it's going to sting a little, alright?"

The boy shook his head. "It's alright, just put a Band-Aid on it," he insisted. His eyes stared into hers nervously.

Winifred shook her head. "The disinfectant keeps it from getting an infection, and if I don't do this then the wound will hurt even more. It'll only be a few seconds, I promise." She got out a wipe and began talking, hoping to distract him. "So, Jacob, what do you want to be when you grow up?" She began wiping the wound.

He whimpered but answered in a strained voice, "I want to be a soldier for the German Military."

"Oh, really?" she answered with false cheerfulness. "Well, I bet you'll be an amazing soldier, especially if you're as good there as you are now." She pulled off the wipe. "Is that better?" She wondered.

Jacob examined his leg, seeming astounded that it hurt less than he thought it would. "Yeah, that's okay. Do I have to put a Band-Aid on it? I want to show this off as my battle scar."

Winifred gulped but shook her head softly. "If we do, you could get it infected. We don't want that." She put the Band-Aid on and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, it still looks cool."

He grinned at her. "You really think so?"

This boy was so convicted that he wanted to be in the military, but he had no idea how many lives could be torn apart if he joined. Still she smiled. "Coolest ever."

Winifred stared at the grocery list in her hand. "We need more carrots, and even more eggs." She sighed and walked into the multiple outlets that held her requirements. She found the carrots and gathered along with others in front of her.

There was a Jew in front of her. She had two children with her, each less than seven years old. They were clinging to her dress, groceries in their hands. They looked so tiny and helpless. Winifred had a nagging feeling that this wasn't going to end well. But she didn't say anything until they reached the front of the line.

The store owner stared at them just a little better than he would a rat. The displeasure in his eyes was a film as he turned away from them. "Sorry, we don't sell to Jews." He didn't sound very apologetic, more like eager to get them out of his store.

The woman made a sound of astonishment before her eyes dropped into a familiar sadness and hunger. "Please sir, we need these groceries. I'll pay you anything. My family…they need this food."

He glared at her distastefully before shrugging. "You dogs can survive in the streets."

Winifred shoved back an angry retort. They were people too! Just because someone was a little different… She clamped her jaw until it hurt because she was biting down so hard, and her fingernails dug into her palms. _Keep quiet, you need these groceries. _For a moment she wavered. She was no better than the people behind her, who were shifting their eyes downward or glaring at the starving woman. She heard an angry 'get out of line!'

"Please-"

"I'll pay for her groceries," Winifred growled, stepping up. "Here, this should be enough right?" She shoved two hundred franks toward him, enough to pay for both hers and the woman's food.

The owner narrowed his eyes but shoved her money back at her. "That will be over enough for your carrots, but nothing can pay for them. They'll just have to starve," he added heartlessly.

Winifred felt all her hidden anger boil over and she slammed her palm down on the table. "I don't think so. This whole prejudice thing is stupid. They are humans, just like you and me, not dogs meant to die on the streets!" Her voice rose higher than she expected it to, and she fought to keep up some kind of control. "Please, just let me pay for their food."

"Ma'am, you don't have to-" The woman interjected, but her children clung onto Winifred's garments while still having a hand firmly on their mother. Winifred looked down in astonishment at their tiny support. Their eyes were brewing up with tears, as were the mother's.

Winifred stared at the store owner with a newly found determination that filled her with a stronger sense of righteousness. This was right. Her steely blue eyes stared into his coolly. "I'll be buying these, and then I'll be leaving."

The man's face flustered face filled with embarrassment and weakness, because they both knew that she had won this fight. He still fought to maintain the smallest amount of control. "This is my store, and…and…" He shook with self-restraint before - quicker than Winifred could react - he raised his hand and began to bring it down hard.

Winifred flinched, expecting the hard streaks of pain on her cheek and the breathlessness afterwards as she spun backwards. She expected the pain to well up a huge bruise. She expected her dignity and her strength to both go flying out the window.

What she didn't expect was a hero.

She was tossed backwards and stared into the back of her saver, golden hair and a long, brown trench coat. In his left hand he clutched a bulky suitcase and his right hand was raised up defensively. There was metallic clang and shocked silence. No one moved.

This stranger was too familiar. Her mind was spinning with everything that just happened in the last few seconds and she couldn't find one logical explanation for anything besides the fact that this man was the man who saved her. Or at least he saved her from a lot of pain and embarrassment.

She heard a whimper from the store owner but was too dazed and furious to even register it.

"Edmund." Her voice failed her but she was too stunned to do anything about it. Because there was no way around it. This was Edmund.


	3. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: Hi! Enjoy and I would appreciate reviews! And I would (inter spacial) hug you if you followed me! :)**

Nobody breathed, for no one wanted to break the uncomfortable tenseness that hung like a plague in the air.

"Don't you know it's rude to hit woman?" A snide remark escaped the stranger's mouth. Winifred gave a little gasp at the unfamiliar voice, not what she was expecting at all. Because for some insane reason she thought that the person in front of her was Edmund. But that would be crazy, because fairy tales don't exist. The princess doesn't end up with her prince, and the dead can never come back to life.

_Stupid, you should know better, _she silently admonished herself just as the stranger turned around to face her. Odd, golden eyes stared into hers, and she once again screamed internally at herself. She had expected those blue eyes that she had known so well. "Are you-"

"I'm fine," she snarled, her eyes growing cold. She got up and dusted her dress off. "Thank you," she told him in a way that screamed ungrateful. She would have to sincerely apologize later, but at the moment all she could think about was how much her world had truly shattered.

His eyes shifted and she knew he must have thought poorly of her, but he didn't say anything, just got up and watched her warily, his own eyes reflecting her doubt. But why, she wondered. She ignored the questions spinning around in her head and turned around to the Jewish woman.

Her brown eyes were big as she stared at Winifred in wide-eyed astonishment. It was almost sad how longing that gaze was, as though nobody had stuck up for her in such a long time that she had forgotten what it was like. "Ma'am, you didn't have to…" Her voice broke off.

Winifred buried her feelings of self-pity and smiled at her sincerely. "Sure I did. Now, do you need anything else? My grandmother owns an inn, and you would be welcome there. It doesn't cost that much!"

The woman looked down at her children before looking back up at her. "I can't possibly ask for more."

Winifred was about to argue that it really wouldn't be that much of a chore, and it could actually help their business, when she remembered that there was more than just her in the inn. Unfortunately, not everyone was as accepting towards Jews as her and her grandmother, so as a rule they only took Jews in when they really needed a place to stay to stop the controversy between guests.

"I know it doesn't seem like much, but you standing up for me and my children means the world to me." She looked around Winifred's skinny frame to view the stranger that Winifred swore she wasn't going to look at. "And thank you too."

Despite her promise Winifred sneaked a peek and almost melted at his soft, embarrassed smile and his nervous wave. "It's not a big deal, really."

Winifred forced her eyes away from him and back at the Jewish woman and her children. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

The woman nodded and grinned forcefully at Winifred. "We'll be fine. Thank you both again." She looked lovingly at her children. "Well, it's best that we get going."

Winifred nodded, although she couldn't swallow the big lump in her throat. "Alright."

One of the children, a boy, glanced nervously up at Winifred and then his mother. Before he could talk himself out of it, he clung to Winifred's jeans and wrapped his arms around her legs. "Thank you, big sister," he muttered quietly.

Winifred stared at him for a moment before bending down on her knees and hugging the child back. "Hey, it's not a problem," she told him quietly. The lump in her throat was back as she stared into adoring brown eyes. "You better get going with your mom."

The child clung onto her for a second more before prying his fingers away from her and walking back towards his mother who had proud tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she said again before wandering off. Winifred waved at them for a moment more before her blue eyes narrowed in determination.

First was first, she needed to examine the stranger's arm and make sure that it was all right.

Of course, first that would mean mustering up the courage to face him.

She turned around to him and once again noticed all the similarities between him and Edmund. Their eyes were shaped the same, the same golden hair color, the same stocky build, not to mention the same square chin. She gulped and shoved down her feelings and blindly reached out to grab his right arm.

When he saw what she was trying to do, he pulled back with a surprised grunt, but not before Winifred felt the tough mechanical parts underneath her hands, and the inhuman gears and plating instead of soft, warm skin. It sent her mind spinning and her mouth blurted out without much thought, "Prosthetic limb?" And then she recalled the clang that sounded when the store owner brought his hand down upon his arm. And she was sure she had heard other clanks, although her busied mind had completely ignored the obvious clues. "I guess you had a rough time with the war too."

The stranger stared at her strangely but clenched his fake arm into a fist. "Yeah, I guess," he muttered.

Winifred turned around to the shop keeper, who was glaring at her angrily despite him holding his limp hand. It was her final priority to work on him. The injuries would be worse, considering he had expected soft, weak, human flesh and instead got an arm constructed of metal. "What's your name?" she wondered.

He looked around, as though he couldn't quite believe she asked him that. When he saw no one else in the vicinity (the customers scattered as quickly as they could) his eyes narrowed and he answered warily, "Peter."

Winifred couldn't help but think of her favorite book character, Peter Pan. The boy who could never grow up. She forced a calculated smile on her face. "My name is Winifred. Now, you're hand struck his metal arm pretty hard. If you have some bandages, I can wrap it up, or I can run home and grab some if you please. I'm not a doctor yet," she stressed the word yet. "But wrapping your hand up could save some damage later on, and it would be in your best interest."

Peter's eyes flashed before he answered reluctantly, "I think I have a first aid kit over there." He pointed his good hand over on top of a cabinet. "I'm not sure if there are bandages though."

Winifred nodded and turned around to the stranger. "What's your name?"

He blushed and his eyes flitted over to the first aid kit. "Ed."

The breath escaped Winifred's lips in a gasp, and she had to reevaluate the stranger. There were too many differences for him to be Edmund though. "As in Edmund?"

Ed tilted his head, his eyebrows furrowed as though he was working through some complicated problem. "No, as in Edward."

"Alright Edward, I'm going to need that first aid kit. Would you mind getting it for me?" She hated how cold her voice sounded, but if she allowed it to be warm, than who knew what that could ensue. She would probably end up crying in front of Peter, who she needed to look strong in front of. Meanwhile, she could drown in her feelings later, and alone.

Ed grumbled something about not calling him Edward, but found the first-aid kit easily. He handed it to Winifred, and she wrapped up Peter's hand, where it had apparently fractured in multiple places. When she finished she swiped her forehead. "Okay, that looks alright," she sighed, looking down at her handiwork. Peter's hand was wrapped up expertly, completely covered in clean, linen wraps.

Peter twitched a few of his fingers. "That didn't even hurt," he mumbled in amazement. "Thank you."

Winifred's voice grew cold. "It wasn't that big of a deal." It was bad of her, but she hoped she never had to meet Peter again. She couldn't like somebody who had such a harsh, useless judgment on Jews. "I would suggest going to the doctor." Well, now that was done. All that was left was for her to thank Edward, which would be a lot harder than it sounded. Because the only thing she could think of to repay him was to…

She spun around, and she saw a younger boy close to Edward gaping at her. Strange, but she shook it off. Perhaps he was surprised that she had actually stuck up for a Jew. "Who's this?"

Edward smirked and elbowed the younger boy. "This is my brother, Al. For _Alphonse," _he stressed sarcastically.

Winifred could already feel her emotions slipping, particularly her temper rising. "Well, thanks," she retorted. She took a closer look at Al and saw he faintly resembled Alfons Heiderich. Again, strange. Both boys looked like someone she knew. She shrugged it off and decided they were going to have a long talk. "Thank you, Edward. I have to insist that you stay with me and my grandmother at our inn as a show of my gratitude."

Edward automatically answered, "No."

Alphonse answered at the same time, "Sure!"

The brothers glared at each other as soon as the answer escaped their mouths. They both turned back around. "What my brother meant to say was-" Ed started.

"-We would love to stay. We don't have anywhere else to go," Al interrupted. He shot a bossy glare at his brother, as though he were the older one.

Winifred was going to go with Al's answer. "That's great. You can even spend the night free, although if you want to stay longer you'll have to pay."

Edward's face was twisted up in an irritated scowl. "Great," he drawled in a way that made her hair stand up on end.

"Well, you don't _have _to stay. You can stay _somewhere else _if you want to." She wanted to blurt out: 'who would be stupid enough to skip a free night at an inn, especially if it was the only place you had to stay at?' With a true show of determination she bit back her angry retort.

Ed waved her off with his hand, flustering her up even more. "We might as well stay at your hotel."

_Make up your mind already! _"Fine!" She stomped up in front of Ed and Al. "Follow me."

Ed and Al followed behind her obediently all the way to the hotel, and their walk was silent.

**Authors Note: Another one? Yes. I didn't mean for it to end up kind of funny, I had been going for a more serious tone at the beginning, and then Al came in. Anyways, I'm sorry if the characters don't quite act the same as they do in the anime, manga. It's difficult making characters exactly the way they were in the anime, especially when tossing them into situations they never went through before. If you have any helpful hints I would love to hear them!**

**Have fun, and I'll see you...probably not next week. (Staying over at grandma's and grandpa's) Maybe...sometime this month... :D I'll try to update as quickly as possible!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Ha ha ha, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! Of course, who wouldn't have a lot of fun when writing about Ed and another character arguing? :) Yep, this was one of those chapters where you try, and you try, and you try to write it, and then it magically forms itself on the page! Magic Chapter! Anyways, been busy with school and dissecting cats.**

**Al: C...cats?**

**Me: Oh no, looks like I broke Al. Whoops. (Shoves toward Ed) FIX HIM NOW! I need him for my fanfic!**

**Lol, done with that. I would appreciate reviews, and I would like to thank Left-to-die, Dick Thomas, SpenstarianCreed1, rosiemontgomery1 and thechaosalchemist for all following and/or reviewing my story! It means the world to me. And you guys are like, shut up hapi3rachel. So, here's the story!**

Mothers clutched their children as another fight broke out in the next aisle over again. People scuttled out as quickly as they could whilst they could still escape the bickering. The vendor more than considered throwing them out of his store, if he wasn't about to kill the two bickering customers himself.

"RED streamers are AWESOME!" A familiar blond argued, his golden eyes sparking in irritation.

"It's a GIRL'S birthday party, EDWARD!" Winifred snapped, snatching the purple streamers from their stand. "Girls like PURPLE!" She was trembling in anger and about to snap. Her blue eyes were colder than ice as she glared at Edward, but he seemed indifferent to her irritation.

"I thought you weren't SEXIST!" Ed argued, whirling around so his back was to Winifred and crossing his arms over his chest. "What if RED is her FAVORITE color?"

Winifred growled. "And what if PURPLE was her FAVORITE color? WHAT then?"

Both hot-tempered blonds whirled around at the same time and shouted "ALPHONSE!"

Alphonse had luckily managed to stay out of the conversation until this point of time, placidly picking through plates and trying to ignore the shouts that erupted from both Edward and Winifred. But it seemed like his luck had run out, and he was forced to either choose Edward or Winifred. He jumped at the sound of their voices, but they didn't even bother to repeat the question. Even deaf people could hear their shouting. "Um…" he stalled for a moment, turning his head to see the streamers. "How about blue?"

Both Ed and Winifred seemed awestruck at even the possibility of a compromise. "Ha!" They grinned triumphantly, so sure were they that Al was going to choose their idea. And then they reran what he suggested in their heads. "Wait, what?"

Al rolled his eyes. "Why not choose blue? Blue is a nice color, and earlier Grace told me she actually liked the color."

Winifred heaved a deep sigh and Ed muttered something under his breath. "Fine," Winifred growled, while Ed said "whatever." The hostility was beginning to die down, but even the smallest catalyst could be enough to spark a wildfire.

They managed to make it to the cashier and offer up their goods in one piece, and the cashier was quick in ushering them out of the store. On his face was a forced grin and the relief could not be kept from his voice. "Thanks for shopping!" He yelled after them. Al gave him a soft wave while Ed and Winifred stomped out. "Never come here again," the vendor muttered under his breath.

-Wibbly-Wobbly-Timey-Wimey-

30 minutes earlier

Winifred stared around the unusually busy hotel. Mothers were scolding mischievous children while a group of muscular men had set up an arm wrestling competition on a table. A few people clustered around the arm wrestling match and were chanting for random victims. This chaos formed her home, and she could not imagine living anywhere else. Well, except Lisemburg, but that was pretty much behind her now. She wanted to go out and chant, or to at least study and lose herself. But instead she had to check with Granny that it was alright for Edward and Alphonse to stay the night for free.

Granny thought for a moment, her eyes fixated on Ed and Al. Alphonse had already grown acquainted with a little girl who Winifred knew was Grace, and Edward was ranting about something that wasn't quite carried over all the conversations, although she was sure she could already pick out his voice from the others. It seemed like he was shouting about something…

"They look a lot like Edmund and Alfons."

Winifred shot up at Granny's voice, trying her hardest to not look like she was eavesdropping on Edward's voice. Not only that, but that was a touchy subject. Still, she shoved it down and nodded, gulping slightly. "Yeah, I know. But…it's not." That voice, those eyes, even the hair was proof enough, for both of them.

"Mm-hmm," Granny said, her glasses glinting. She was so much shorter than Winifred, but Winifred was at her beck and call. She was so unfamiliar, and yet Winifred's only family. She could be sweet and funny but at other times she could be stern and mean. Her ever-changing moods left Winifred guessing, and yet it seemed like she could read Winifred's thoughts. It didn't seem fair that Winifred was the open book. "And we aren't keeping them here because they look like Edmund and Alfons?"

Winifred gulped. Yes, that was most of the reason she wanted to keep them here. She thought for a moment though. If someone she hadn't known at all had saved her from getting hit, would she invite them to spend the night? She was going to go with yes. "Of course," she lied through her teeth.

Granny found the answer appeasing enough. "Alright, but they can only spend one night free."

"Of course!" Winifred grinned. "Thanks."

Granny grinned. "No problem! Now a matter on the groceries you don't seem to have."

Winifred's arms dropped limp. "Yeah…about that. I kind of made somebody a little mad, and now we don't have groceries. I'm sure we could find another stall to buy at though!" she added enthusiastically.

Granny chuckled and Winifred was left guessing whether that was a good sign or a bad sign. She mentally prepared herself for the worst.

"You remind me of your parents growing up. They were good people."

Winifred had not expected that wound to open up, but there it was. Why not? She already had Edmund and Alfons. "So I'm told," she said. Everything she did was for them, even though they now faded into soft memories that left her cold and empty on the inside. Eventually their memory would fade into oblivion, along with Edmund's and Alfons' and her memory would follow soon after until not a single person had ever heard of Winifred. She would be the backdrop in a picture. She would be a nobody.

Everybody faded into nothing at the end.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Granny piped up. "It's Grace's birthday, and I was planning on throwing a birthday party for her."

Winifred loved planning birthday parties for children who just happened to be on the move when their birthday hit. Often the family had plans on moving to America, a country on the other side of the world. Their money was plentiful and women were gaining more rights. Musical movements such as Jazz filled the country with an awe-inspiring reputation, and it moved over here slowly but surely. Unfortunately, after the Treaty of Versailles, money here was tighter than ever, and so very few families with these aspiring dreams actually made it over. Thus, they started throwing birthday parties.

"Ooh, we're going to need a few more groceries. All right, I'll go get them," she said determinedly.

Granny and Winifred made their way to the entrance where Granny met Ed and Al. Winifred gave a quick smile and a wave before hurrying out to go get supplies.

She was halfway down the few steps in front of the hotel when she heard her name.

She whirled around to a dumbstruck Al. Both stared at each other, and Winifred lost herself in his odd, mesmerizing golden eyes. It didn't have quite the effect as his brother's, but Al could be quite charming. Meanwhile, Al was growing red with embarrassment as he tried to find the words to explain why he was here now. "Um…I wasn't eavesdropping, I promise! I just heard your grandmother tell you to go do something, and I thought, you don't have to, but maybe you'd need help! I would have to ask brother, and I understand-"

"It's alright," Winifred cut through the bumbling words and the lost conversation. She gave him a soft smile. "You can come with me, and your brother can come too, I don't mind."

"Oh, great!" Al sighed in relief and a loopy grin flitted across his face.

Winifred felt at ease with Al, and not the tension that spread whenever she stole a glance towards Edward. Al seemed a lot more easy-going, and not quite so intense with his emotions, or with her emotions. It made things that much simpler.

"It's Grace's birthday, and we're throwing her a little party. Nothing too big."

Ed had somehow managed to sneak out during their conversation. "Whose Grace?"

Winifred jumped and looked up nervously at his slumped up form leaning against the railing. "Oh, um, Grace is the little girl you guys were talking to." Both boys stiffened when they realized who the little girl was, but Winifred was too caught up in not trying to sneak a glance at Edward to notice. "Anyways, I would really like it if you guys went shopping for Grace, and I'm sure she would like it too. You don't have to if you don't want to." Her face flushed red and she realized what an idiot she must seem like. Thankfully, both Ed and Al seemed a little lost in thought to notice.

"So we can help throw a party for Grace?"

Winifred was surprised that it was Ed who said that, and his eyes lit up, as though he was determined to give her the best birthday party already. "Um…sure!"

"Great."


End file.
